PHIL JAGIELKA joined manager David Moyes in pointing the finger at referee Howard Webb after Everton FC suffered rare misery at Eastlands.

The visitors believe their brave rearguard action was undermined by the officials as they slipped to a 2-0 Premier League defeat at Manchester City on Saturday.

Jagielka was one of several Everton players to approach Webb and his assistants at the final whistle following a string of contentious decisions.

Moyes’ men were unhappy at City being wrongly awarded a throw-in during the build-up to Mario Balotelli’s 68th-minute opener and that substitute Louis Saha was not awarded a free-kick on the edge of the area shortly afterwards following a block by Victor Kompany.

And Jagieka said: “We felt a couple of key decisions didn’t go our way. I’ve been told it was blatantly our throw-in for their first goal, Bainesy kicked it off their lad and from the throw-in they scored.

“Then Louis goes through and from our view he was blatantly obstructed. I can understand the ref being concerned giving it had it might have been a penalty, but it was clearly outside, so it’s not like it was a big call.

“What could have been a decent point is now a defeat. We realise it’s a hard place to come, but for two-thirds of the game we were heading for a clean sheet.

“When you come to City, you need that rub of the green. They have so many attacking options and keep the ball for such long periods, if you aren’t lucky then you aren’t going to win the game.

“We aren’t going to spit our dummy out, but with a bit more luck we could have seen the game out.”

Moyes was particularly disgruntled by a challenge by Kompany on Tim Cahill.

“I thought the boy does him,” said the manager. “He definitely sees his shin going in and stands on it.

“People who have played will know what I am on about. You can see his leg there, and I think he does him.

“The officials seemed to spot most other things but they didn’t spot the big one and they are judged on their big decisions. They are the sort of tackles where it doesn’t take much to crack your shin.

“We found the way the officials treated the players difficult to take. We found it a strain. I think what we want is consistency.”

Everton, who had won on their last four visits to Eastlands, were on course to frustrate their hosts once again until Balotelli’s shot deflected in off Jagielka.

Substitute James Milner grabbed the second in the 89th minute with Moyes’ side having been forced to abandon their defensive approach.

“If you are part of the big four maybe you can fight fire with fire, but for the rest of us, we have to come up with a gameplan,” said Jagielka. “Obviously it didn’t work, but it wasn’t too bad for the majority of the game.

“It’s hard to defend like that for a full game. I feel more sorry for our strikers and the midfielders, as a defender you are shuffling across and blocking holes, whereas for the others they are having to chase people.

“With players like Jack and Felli having to play 120 minutes in midweek, to come here and run around again, it’d be interesting to see the stats how far they’ve run. The credit goes out to them.”

Of City’s title hopes, Jagielka added: “City will be there or thereabouts come the end of the season, as they were last season.

“Whether they’ve got enough to pip Man Utd and Chelsea, who have the experience of the cold December nights and nicking an away win despite playing badly, time will tell.”

Meanwhile, Everton will host Chelsea in the Carling Cup fourth round. The tie will take place during the week beginning Monday, October 24.